Lantana plant named ‘Aries Lion’

ABSTRACT

A new and distinct cultivar of  Lantana  plant named ‘Aries Lion’, characterized by its compact, upright to outwardly spreading and mounding plant habit; freely branching growth habit; variegated leaves; freely flowering habit; flowers that are initially yellow in color and with development become bright orange and burnt orange to eventually red in color; and good garden performance.

Botanical designation: Lantana camara.

Cultivar denomination: ‘ARIES LION’.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of Lantana plant, botanically known as Lantana camara and hereinafter referred to by the name ‘Aries Lion’.

The new Lantana plant is a naturally-occurring whole plant mutation of an unnamed selection of Lantana camara, not patented. The new Lantana plant was discovered and selected by the Inventor as a single flowering plant from within a population of plants of the parent selection in a controlled greenhouse environment in Kfar Aviv, Israel in 2008.

Asexual reproduction of the new Lantana plant by vegetative cuttings in a controlled greenhouse environment in Kfar Aviv, Israel since 2008 has shown that the unique features of this new Lantana plant are stable and reproduced true to type in successive generations.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Plants of the new Lantana have not been observed under all possible environmental conditions and cultural practices. The phenotype may vary somewhat with variations in environmental conditions such as temperature and light intensity without, however, any variance in genotype.

The following traits have been repeatedly observed and are determined to be the unique characteristics of ‘Aries Lion’. These characteristics in combination distinguish ‘Aries Lion’ as a new and distinct Lantana plant:

-   -   1. Compact, upright to outwardly spreading and mounding plant         habit.     -   2. Freely branching growth habit.     -   3. Variegated leaves.     -   4. Freely flowering habit.     -   5. Flowers that are initially yellow in color and with         development become bright orange and burnt orange to eventually         red in color.     -   6. Good garden performance.

Plants of the new Lantana can be compared to plants of the parent selection. Plants of the new Lantana differ from plants of the parent selection in the following characteristics:

-   -   1. Plants of the new Lantana have variegated leaves whereas         plants of the parent selection have solid green-colored leaves'.     -   2. Plants of the new Lantana and the parent selection differ in         flower color as plants of the parent selection have red-colored         flowers.

Plants of the new Lantana can be compared to plants of the Lantana camara ‘Bante Rossa’, disclosed in U.S. Plant Pat. No. 18,148. Plants of the new Lantana differ from plants of ‘Bante Rossa’ in the following characteristics:

-   -   1. Plants of the new Lantana are more vigorous than and not as         compact as plants of ‘Bante Rossa’.     -   2. Plants of the new Lantana and ‘Bante Rossa’ differ in leaf         color as plants of ‘Bante Rossa’ have solid green-colored         leaves.     -   3. Plants of the new Lantana and ‘Bante Rossa’ differ in flower         color as plants of ‘Bante Rossa’ have purple pink and         yellow-colored flowers.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PHOTOGRAPHS

The accompanying colored photographs illustrate the overall appearance of the new Lantana plant showing the colors as true as it is reasonably possible to obtain in colored reproductions of this type. Colors in the photographs may differ slightly from the color values cited in the detailed botanical description which accurately describe the colors of the new Lantana plant.

The photograph at the bottom of the sheet comprises a side perspective view of a typical flowering plant of ‘Aries Lion’ grown in a container.

The photograph at the top of the sheet is a close-up view of a typical flowering plant of ‘Aries Lion’.

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

The aforementioned photographs and following observations and measurements describe plants grown during the early autumn in one-gallon containers in an outdoor nursery in Bonsall, Calif. and under commercial practices typical of commercial production. During the production of the plants, day temperatures ranged from 21° C. to 35° C. and night temperatures ranged from 13° C. to 18° C. Plants were pinched one time at planting and were twelve weeks old when the photographs and the description were taken. In the following description, color references are made to The Royal Horticultural Society Colour Chart, 2007 Edition, except where general terms of ordinary dictionary significance are used.

-   Botanical classification: Lantana camara ‘Aries Lion’. -   Parentage: Naturally-occurring whole plant mutation of an unnamed     selection of Lantana camara, not patented. -   Propagation:     -   -   Type.—By vegetative cuttings.         -   Time to initiate roots, summer.—About ten days at             temperatures of 16° C.         -   Time to initiate roots, winter.—About 14 days at             temperatures of 16° C.         -   Time to produce a rooted young plant, summer.—About 18 days             at temperatures of 16° C.         -   Time to produce a rooted young plant, winter.—About 21 days             at temperatures of 16° C.         -   Root description.—Fleshy; thin; white in color.         -   Rooting habit.—Moderately freely branching; medium density. -   Plant description:     -   -   Plant and growth habit.—Compact, upright and outwardly             spreading and mounding plant habit; vigorous growth habit             and moderate growth rate.         -   Plant height.—About 36 cm.         -   Plant diameter.—About 68 cm. -   Lateral branch description:     -   -   Branching habit.—Freely branching habit with about five             primary lateral branches per plant; each primary lateral             branch with potentially two secondary lateral branches             developing at every node; pinching enhances lateral branch             development.         -   Length.—About 37 cm.         -   Diameter.—About 3 mm to 7 mm.         -   Internode length.—About 3.8 cm.         -   Strength.—Strong.         -   Texture.—Pubescent; coarse; longitudinally ridged.         -   Color, young stems.—Close to 146C.         -   Color, mature stems.—Close to 199B to 199C. -   Foliage description:     -   -   Arrangement.—Opposite, simple.         -   Length.—About 6.4 cm.         -   Width.—About 3.6 cm.         -   Shape.—Elliptic.         -   Apex.—Acute.         -   Base.—Attenuate.         -   Margin.—Serrate.         -   Texture, upper and lower surfaces.—Pubescent, coarse and             rough; somewhat leathery.         -   Venation pattern.—Pinnate; arcuate to reticulate.         -   Color.—Developing leaves, upper surface: Close to 146B to             146C. Developing leaves, lower surface: Close to 147C. Fully             expanded leaves, upper surface: Center, close to 147B;             interveinal areas, towards the margins and at the margins,             irregular and random sectors and patches, close to 194A and             NN155B to NN155B; venation, close to 147B. Fully expanded             leaves, lower surface: Close to 147B to 147C; venation,             close to 148C.         -   Petiole length.—About 2 cm.         -   Petiole diameter.—About 2 mm.         -   Petiole texture, upper and lower surfaces.—Pubescent.         -   Petiole color, upper and lower surfaces.—Close to 146C. -   Flower description:     -   -   Flower arrangement and flowering habit.—Solitary tubular to             somewhat salverform flowers arranged in terminal and             axillary hemispherical umbels; flowers face mostly upward or             outward; freely flowering habit with about 15 flowers             developing per inflorescence; flowers sessile with the             umbel.         -   Natural flowering season.—Plants of the new Lantana flower             continuously from spring until frost in the autumn in             Southern California; plants begin flowering about six to             eight weeks after planting.         -   Flower longevity on the plant.—About two to three days;             flowers not persistent.         -   Fragrance.—Fairly pungent; fruity and spicy.         -   Inflorescence height.—About 1.2 cm.         -   Inflorescence diameter.—About 2.7 cm.         -   Flowers.—Appearance: Flared trumpet, corolla fused,             four-parted. Diameter: About 7 mm by 9 mm. Depth (height):             About 1.2 cm. Throat diameter: About 1 mm. Tube diameter:             About 1 mm. Tube length: About 8 mm.         -   Flower buds.—Length: About 8 mm. Diameter: About 2.5 mm.             Shape: Elongated oblong with rounded apex. Color: Close to             175B to 175C.         -   Corolla.—Arrangement: Single whorl of four fused petals.             Petal lobe length: About 4 mm to 5 mm. Petal lobe width:             About 3 mm to 5 mm. Petal lobe shape: Rounded. Petal lobe             apex: Rounded. Petal margin: Entire to slightly erose;             curling upward. Petal texture, upper and lower surfaces:             Smooth, glabrous; velvety. Throat and tube texture:             Pubescent. Color: When opening, upper surface: Center, close             to 15A; towards the margins, close to N163C. When opening,             lower surface: Close to 20A. Fully opened, upper surface:             Close to 163C; with development, color shifts to N163C to             N163B to more burnt orange than 169A and eventually becoming             closer to 46B. Fully opened, lower surface: Close to 179B to             179C. Throat: Close to 15B to 15C becoming closer to 31B             with development. Tube: Close to 168C becoming closer to             179C with development.         -   Calyx.—Appearance: Short and narrow tubular calyx with four             fused sepals. Length: About 2 mm. Diameter: About 1 mm.             Sepal apex: Acute. Sepal margin: Entire. Sepal texture,             inner surface: Smooth, glabrous. Sepal texture, outer             surface: Pubescent. Sepal color, inner surface: Close to             145D. Sepal color, outer surface: Close to 145C.         -   Peduncles.—Length: About 4.4 cm. Diameter: About 1 mm.             Strength: Strong. Texture: Pubescent. Color: Close to 146C.         -   Reproductive organs.—Stamens: Quantity and arrangement: Four             per flower, adnate to floral tube. Filament length: About             4 mm. Filament color: Close to 1D. Anther length: Less than             1 mm. Anther shape: Oval. Anther color: Close to 162A.             Pollen amount: None observed. Pistils: Quantity: One per             flower. Pistil length: About 3 mm. Stigma shape: Oval to             nearly round. Stigma color: Close to 145B. Style length:             About 1.5 mm. Style color: Close to 145D. Ovary color: Close             to 145C. Fruits and seeds: Fruit and seed development have             not been observed on plants of the new Lantana. -   Garden performance: Plants of the new Lantana have been observed to     have good garden performance and to tolerate wind, rain and     temperatures ranging from about 1° C. to about 35° C. -   Pathogen & pest resistance: Plants of the new Lantana have not been     observed to be resistant to pests and pathogens common to Lantana     plants. 

It is claimed:
 1. A new and distinct Lantana plant named ‘Aries Lion’ as illustrated and described. 